Left I on the News

Saturday, November 26, 2011

"Perceived" "malevolence"

Pakistan on Saturday accused NATO helicopters and fighter jets of firing on two army checkpoints in the country's northwest and killing 24 soldiers. Islamabad retaliated by closing the border crossings used by the international coalition to supply its troops in neighboring Afghanistan.

The incident before dawn Saturday was a major blow to already strained relations between Islamabad and U.S.-led forces fighting in Afghanistan. It will add to perceptions in Pakistan that the American presence in the region is malevolent, and further fuel resentment toward the weak government in Islamabad for its cooperation with Washington.

Yes, it's just a "perception" that Americans are killing Pakistanis by the score, and that their presence in the region is "malevolent," and not totally benign, or even beneficial. I'm not even going to mention (oh wait, yes I am) that the real "major blow" will be to the families of 24 Pakistani soldiers, who will have to be content with a pro-forma "apology" from the generals (and maybe a few bucks as well, though nowhere near as many as if they were "real" people, you know, Americans).

Thursday, November 10, 2011

The "bellicose" Ayatollah

The supreme leader of Iran added his voice on Thursday to the country’s bellicose backlash against the incriminating United Nations report about the Iranian nuclear program.

And what exactly did he say that caused him to be described as "bellicose"? This:

"If the thought of invasion against the Islamic republic of Iran crosses anybody’s mind he must ready himself to receive a strong slap and iron fist...The enemies, especially the United States and its puppets and the Zionist regime, should know that the Iranian nation will not invade any country or nation, but it will respond to any invasion or threat with full force in a way that it will break up invaders from within."

Apparently the Times isn't familiar with the meaning of the word "bellicose":

There are of course bellicose actors in this discussion. The United States and Israel just to name the top two. But not someone who says they will defend themselves if attacked. That's not "bellicose," it's just rational.